Smart sensors and other devices collect real time data and may provide input data streams to receiving processing devices such as: personal computers or mobile telephones or tablets, computer applications, web applications, or cloud based programs and systems. These input data streams may be transmitted through wired or wireless communication links, such as wireless communications implemented using standard protocols such as one of the BLUETOOTH® protocols.
Typically, a receiving processing device is enabled to process data transmitted from these sensors and devices by a bridge application program (“app”) or a dedicated app to process the data on the receiving processing device. In either case, the app is in the form of software that must be downloaded and installed on the receiving processing device. In many cases, the app is specific to one device or sensor.
Measuring devices are available for sensing various physical parameters. The measuring device includes one or more sensors which measure the physical parameters. The sensors produce signals that are processed to produce a value representative of the physical parameter in a desired format. The processed physical parameter may then be provided to a display and shown to the user. Additionally, with the advance in computing technology and mobile computing, applications are available which receive data relating to physical parameters and provide a user with a means of tracking physical parameters over time. These applications, or apps, may analyze the received physical parameter data and provide a user with additional information about the physical parameter, or may provide other information or coaching to a user who seeks to monitor or control the levels of the tracked physical parameters. The user may manually enter the physical parameter displayed on the measuring device into the app. The app may be running on, for example, a mobile device such as a smartphone. For example, a user wishing to track his or her body weight, could install a fitness tracking app on their mobile device. A data input screen provided by the app software provides input fields for the user to select and manually enter information via a hardware or virtual keyboard. The user views their body weight as measured by the sensing or measurement device (scale), for example, from a display on the scale, and manually types or enters the displayed information into the app. The app saves the information for later retrieval or additional processing such as tracking or other fitness functions. However, this type of manual data entry is inconvenient and demands the attention of the user. In addition, manual data entry is subject to input errors, which may affect the accuracy and usability of the entered data.
Measuring devices may be linked to a remote processing device having specialized software installed which perform functions such as weight tracking, fitness tracking and management along with other fitness-related functions. In order to implement a link between such a measuring device and a processing device, the measuring device must identify itself to the processing device. Once identified, the measuring device transmits data to the processing device in a format determined by a set of rules established by the processing device. For example, an application (app) running on a mobile device may provide an Application Programming Interface (API), which provides descriptions of the data that the app may receive, and provides abstractions of data processing functions that may be performed on the received data. For example, an abstraction of a data processing function in the API, may include a method called “updateParameter( )”. The updateParameter method may be called at the processing device and includes a new value of the physical parameter measured by the measuring device. The user need not know the specifics for updating the value in the processing device or app running on the processing device. Instead, the API provides the format for the method call that allows the user of the measuring device to call the method with the appropriate input value, and the API will complete the processing of the specifics needed to properly update the value in the fitness app. The measuring device is configured to perform measurements using one or more sensors, process data from the sensors representing the measurements performed, and provide the processed data to an application on the processing device in a format dictated by the API for the app. Generally, a user searches for a specialized app in an online marketplace such as GOOGLE PLAY™, or the APPLE® APP STORE®. The user selects an appropriate app and downloads the app to the user's processing device. The app is designed for interaction with a particular sensing device (e.g. a weight scale), and provides a customized data interface between the app and the sensing device. The downloadable apps may be proprietary, requiring that a particular sensing device receive approval and authorization for compatibility and access to the application program interfaces (APIs) that were used to implement the software in the app.
Sensing devices that operate with a broad range of apps and overcome the disadvantages of manual data entry are desired.